Compact display unit

• US 8,140,137 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Contour, Michael Joseph, Banasik, Paul Michael, Doyle, Marquis D. III, van Oosten Slingeland, Daniel Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gu, Andy
• Application Number:
  US11/519,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20080064360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,017 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.9, 455/73
• US Class Current: 455/575.9
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/11 Instrument graphical user interfaces or menu aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

A compact display unit that includes a mobile application server. The mobile application server is mounted in the vehicle for receipt and transmission of communications. The mobile application server is operatively connected to the compact display unit. The compact display unit presents to a vehicle operator a range of pre-selected permissive communications between the vehicle and a remote server by a vehicle operator during operation of the vehicle. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure, but this abstract is not to be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of any claim.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mountable display unit, comprising:

a housing;

an array of buttons positioned on the housing to activate the display unit;

a monitor mounted in the housing to present a range of programmable permissive communications to a vehicle operator for intercommunication between at least one remote base station located outside of said vehicle and the vehicle;

a touch screen operatively connected to the monitor to present the programmed permissible communications choices to a vehicle operator, wherein said permissible communications choices are capable of being masked by said at least one remote base station, further wherein masked ones of said permissible communications choices cannot be unmasked by the vehicle operator, and wherein no keyboard for data entry into the display unit is connectable to the display unit such that the vehicle operator is precluded from entry of data into the display unit;

a mobile server mounted in the vehicle, operatively connected to the monitor, to transmit to, and receive messages across, a mobile satellite communications system for intercommunication between at least one remote base station and the vehicle operator; and

a separate media display unit, which is provided with a keyboard for data entry into said separate media display unit by a third party other than the vehicle operator during operation of said vehicle or by the vehicle operator while said vehicle is stationary, wherein said separate media display unit is a primary means of communication to said remote base station across said mobile satellite communications system, and wherein said display unit is a secondary means of communication to said remote base station across said mobile satellite communications system.

2. A vehicle-mountable display unit as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more programs in the mobile server to transmit to, and receive messages from, a mobile satellite communications system.

3. A vehicle-mountable display unit as recited in claim 2, further comprising one or more programs in the mobile server to detect either removal or attempted removal of the display unit and mobile server from the vehicle, or to detect unauthorized misappropriation of the vehicle.

4. A vehicle-mountable display unit as recited in claim 1, further comprising a text-to-speech engine to control text-to-speech signals.

5. A vehicle-mountable display unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the display unit is operable by a vehicle operator while the vehicle is either stationary or moving.

6. A system for displaying pre-selected vehicle communications options, comprising:

a mobile application server mountable in the vehicle for receipt and transmission of the communications in conjunction with a mobile satellite communications system for intercommunication between at least one remote base station and the vehicle;

a compact display unit operatively connectable to the mobile application server for presenting a range of pre-selected permissive communications between the vehicle and the remote server by a vehicle operator during operation of the vehicle, wherein the compact display unit includes a monitor for displaying the pre-selected permissive communications to a vehicle operator for said intercommunication between a remote server and the vehicle operator, further wherein a touch screen is operatively connected to the monitor to present the pre-selected communications choices to the vehicle operator, further wherein said permissible communications choices are capable of being masked by said at least one remote base station, further wherein masked ones of said permissible communications choices cannot be unmasked by the vehicle operator, further wherein no keyboard for data entry into the display unit is connectable to the display unit such that the vehicle operator is precluded from entry of data into the display unit; and

a separate media display unit, which is provided with a keyboard for data entry into said separate media display unit by a third party other than the vehicle operator during operation of said vehicle or by the vehicle operator while said vehicle is stationary, wherein said separate media display unit is a primary means of communication to said remote base station across said mobile satellite communications system, and wherein said display unit is a secondary means of communication to said remote base station across said mobile satellite communications system.

7. A system for displaying pre-selected vehicle communications options as recited in claim 6, further comprising means for operatively connecting the compact display unit to the mobile application server.

8. A system for displaying pre-selected vehicle communications options as recited in claim 7, wherein the means for operatively connecting the compact display unit to the mobile application server includes a communications path between the compact display unit and the mobile application server.

9. A system for displaying pre-selected vehicle communications options as recited in claim 8, wherein the communications path includes a serial port mounted in the mobile application server.

10. A system for displaying pre-selected vehicle communications options as recited in claim 9, wherein the communications path includes a virtual network computing link operatively connected via the serial port to the compact display unit.

11. A system for displaying pre-selected vehicle communications options as recited in claim 10, wherein the compact display unit includes one or more buttons positioned on the housing for activating the display unit.